Gang-plow.



G. SMART.

GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED 'MAY 4, 1909.

933,858.,I Patented sept.14,19o9.

G. SMART. GANG PLOW.

APPLICATION FILEDMAY 4, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 G. SMART.

GANG PLOW.

AYPLIOATION FILED MAY 4, 1909. v 933,858, 4 Patented Sept. 14, 1909 4SHEETS-SHEET ab ai@ lg/ZP l /6 ZJ 7 0 o o o? @mxl n f1 n 05 .51

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rr srr CHARLES SMART, OF HENDRUM, MINNESOTA.y

GANG-PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 1a, 1909.

Application filed May 4, 1909. Serial No. 493,927.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES SMART, citizen of the United States,residing at Hendrum, in the county of Norman and State of Minnesota.,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang-Flows, of

. tione which the following isla specification.

This invention relates to' gang plows of that type adapted and intendedto be hauled by traction engines.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for attachingthe gang or series of plows to a triangular frame, so as to allow theindividual plows to respectively conform to the unevenness of theground.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved devices forconnecting therespective plows to the frame in such' manner that theywill not tip over, but will nevertheless be allowed two motions, thatis, vertical movement and horizontal swing.

A. further objectvof the invention is to provide improved means forlifting and lowering the plows in succession. Since the plow units areconnected .to the frame on a diagonal line, it is necessary or desirablethat the plows be lifted in succession, with suicient dierence in timeof operation to bring the furrows even at the ends thereof; and it isalso desirable that the plows be lowered in succession, so that thefurrows may start evenly. By devices hereinafter shown and describedthese results are accomplished, the construction embodying mutilatedgears the teeth of which respectively engage, in succession, pinionswhich operate hoisting devices connected to the respective plows. And inorder to let theplows down in succession, each of the mutilated 'gearwheels is provided with a releasing device, and said devices operate inturn to release the successive hoisting devices by which the plows areheld in raised position, thereby allowing said plows to drop insuccession. The ears and other devices are proporto the distance apartof the y that is, the distance of one behind the other along the line',of draft, in order that the desired result, above referred to, may beeffected.

pro'vide' an improved tri mechanism for operating the hoisting evicesabove referred to, said trip mechanism being under the control of theoperator or driver, the power to hoist the plow units being derivedplows,v

cross brace 19.

A further object of the invention is toV from the main carrying ordriving wheel of the plow.

With these and other objects in View the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the plow.Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation showing the trip-V ping devices. Fig.3 is a partial rear elevation looking at a right angle to the diagonalpart of the frame, and with the plow units removed. Fig. 4 is asectional view showing the hoisting'devices for one of the plows, saidplow being in lowered position. Fig. 5 is a similar View showing thehoisting mechanism from the opposite side, the plow being in raisedposition. Figs. 6 and 7 are `deta1ls of the plow beam and the castingfor connecting the same to the clevis. Fig. 8 is a side view similar toFig. 2, but with the 'tripping device in different position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the main frame consists of aVfront cross bar 6, a left side bar 7 and diagonal upper and lower bars8 and 9, with longitudinal connecting bar 10 between the ,front anddiagonal bars, the latter being carried upon the axle of the main wheel12'. which is located at the center of the line of draft.A The front andside bars are preferably double T beams of structural steel, thediagonal bars 8 and 9 are preferably angle bars of the necessarystrength.

These bars and-'beams are bolted together to. form the triangular frame.A caster wheel tached along the diagona bars, and above the plow unitsislocated a diagonal beam .14,

supported by orved overhanging standards 15 rising from the diagonalbars 8 and 9. The upper hoisting pulleys 16 are hung from the bar 14.Each of the plow units is connected to the dia onal beams of the frameby devices now to e described. Each plow unit is provided with a 'mainbeam 17 and a side or wing beam 18, the latter springing .from the bendof the main'beam and extending forwardly beside the same, and at thefront ends the said beams are connectedby a They are also connected to atubular casting -20 by means of a bolt 20a which extends horizontally,and the casting has on its front side a vertical sleeve21, 1ocated inline with the front end ofthe main beam 17, andthis sleeve ts'and isslidable the gang are at up and down on the verticalelevis boit 22% lwhich is supported at top and bottom by a hanger or bracket 23 bolted tothe diagonal bars 8 and 9. When the plow is raised or lowered the sleeve21 slides up and d own on the bolt. The clevis connection as describedalso allows the plowl to swing laterally to a limited extent.. Theattachments described are individual to each of the plow units, andaccordingly each plow unit may be raised .or lowered independently.

The hoisting devices for each plow are shown particularly in Figs. 1, 4and 5. A chain 24 is connected to the plow beam and extends thencesubstantially vertically to the pulley 16, over which it passes andextends lhenee downwardly and over a pulley 25 set n a bracket 26projecting from one side of the hanger 23, andthence the chain extendsupwardly and is connected to a segment 27.

There is one of these segments for each low and cach one is mounted on ashort sha t 28- supported by brackets 29 on the angle bar 8, and wheneach shaft is turned the correspending plow will be v.raised or loweredaceordingly, or rather, 'when the shaft is turned in one direction theplow will be raised, and when the shaft is released theplow will drop byits own weight and return.'y

the shaft.

In order to operate the shafts 28 in succession to lift the plow-units,and'also -to release the same in succession to dropv the plow shares orunits, a long diagonal shaft 30 is provided, suitably mounted uponupright brackets 31 which stand on the beams of the .main frame, theshaft being parallel to,

above, and in front of the diagonal beams 8' and 9. The shaft 30 hasthereon a series of wheels 32 corresponding in number to the plow units,and each of these wheels 32 has asegment of teeth 33 arranged to engagea pinion 34 on the shaft 28, and when said wheels are rotated and thecogs are engaged with the pinions the latter will be turned, therebyturning the shaft 28 and hoisting the plow unit. In order' to hold theplow in lifted position until released a spring-pin 35 is provided whichslides in guides 36 projectin from one of the bearing brackets 29, anthis pin 35 is arranged to engage in a hole 37 in the adjacent side ofthe pinion 34, thereby locking said pinion. To release the pinion andallow the plow unit to drop, each wheel 32 has a cam 38 locateddiametrically opposite the cogs 33 and on the side of the wheel adjacentto the pin 35, and said pin has a lug 39 which projects into the path ofthe cam, and when the cam comes around it presses against said lug andforces back `the pin, withdrawing the same from the hole 37, therebyallowing the pinion and shaft 28 to turn and the plow unit to drop tothe round.

The teeth33 on t e several wheels 32 are located in succession withrespect to angular position so that they will operate succes sively,beginningat the foremost plow and so on down the line of plows, and theteeth are so proportioned that they wouldform, if all wheels wereconsolidated, a half circle. The number of teeth on the respectivewheels and the proportions of the respective pinions, are worked outIaccording-to the number of plow units and the distance apart of the plowunits in the line ofdraft, so that the ends of the furrows will be inline when all the plows are lifted. When the shaft 30 is turned bydevicesto be described the teeth of the first wheel pick up the firstpinion and turn the same and the first plow is lifted. The teeth of thenext wheel then pick up the second shaft and the second plow is lifted,and so on down the line of plows until all are lifted, and as each plowis lifted the corresponding pin catches the pinion 34 and locks the plowin raised position.

'In order that the plows 4may be released in succession the cams 38 ofthe respective wheels are angularlyl advanced an equal vdistance tocover the remaining half circle or circumlference of the wheels 32,which cams thus correspond in `position to the teeth on the samewheeland being diametrically-'opposite thereto. Thus, to release the plowsand allow the same to drop, the shaft 30-is turned a half revolution andthe lock pins 35 are disengaged by the cams in succession, and 'the plowunits drop successively to the ground.

F or driving the shaft 30 it is gearedito the axle of the wheel 12, thegearing including a clutch or trip device controlled'by the operator Theaxle of the main wheelj/s connected by a chain belt 40 and sprocket,

lwheels 41 and 42 to a cross shaft 43 which has at its outer end asprocket 44 loose thereon. This sprocket is connected by a chain belt 45to asprocket 46 fast on the outer end of a shaft 47 the inner end ofwhich has thereon a bevelj gear 48 meshing with a spur gear 49 on theshaft 30. The-shafts are supported in suitable bearing brackets on themain .frame At its extreme outery end the shaft 43 has a fixed cross bar50, fastenedy to the shaft at the middle, and having at its oppositeends two small rollers 51 arranged to hit or miss a projection 52 at theinner end of a lever 53 Ywhich is pivoted` at 54 to the wheel 44. Aspring 55 tends to swing the lever 53 so as to bring the projection 52in the line of movement of the rollers 51. Said projection is normallyheld out of said line of movement by mean'sof a trip ceases 57 is pulledthe arm 56 is swung out; and the spring 55 turns the lever 53 so thatits inner end will receive the contact of one of the rollers 5l andthereby lock the shaft 43 to otherwise, as desired. In order todisengage 4the coupling thus effected at the end of each revolution, apit-man 58 is connected to the wheel 46 and to the stop lever 56. Thispitman is provided with a spring 59 in the iniddle to cushion itsoperation and to allow the trip lever 56 to be pulled back by theoperator. After the cord 57 is released the turn of the-wheel 46 will,in consequence of the pitlnan connection, lreturn said stop lever to itsoriginal position at the end of one revolution of the wheel 46, and insuch position the outer end of the lever 53 will strike and stop againstthe arm 56, and the lever 53 will swing on its pivot, disengagingv itshead or projection 52 from the roller 51, thereby disconnecting thesprocket 44from the shaft 43 and stopping the sprocket which, as stated,is loose on the shaft.- The parts are so proportioned that one turn ofthe sprocket 4-4 will `produce a half turn of the shaft 30. 'Henee, tolift the plows, the cord 57 is pulled, and to drop the samethe cord 57is pulled again, when they will be successivelydropped by the means andin the manner above described. i

It is believed that the construction and operation will be fullyunderstood from the above description. rNo limitation is implied byreason of the particularstructure shown,

since various modifications may be made within the scope of theinvention. It will of course be appreciated that a traction engine orsome other form of traction power 4will be connected to the front bar ofthe frame, a coupling member G0 beingshown for thatrpurpose.

I claim:

l. In a gang plow, the combination of a main frame, a wheel on which itis mounted, a series of 'plows arranged diagonally and connected to theframe, and means to successively lift or drop the plows, including ashaft geared .to the wheel and extending diagonally in parallelism tothe plows, and a hoisting device for each plow, operatively connected tothe shaft.

2. In a gang plow, the combination of a main frame, a series of plowsarranged diagonally and connected to' the frame, and

means to successively lift` or drop the plows,

in the line of draft, whereby the plows vwill. be lifted or dropped in astraight line at the end or beginning of the furrows.

3. In a gang plow, the combination of a main frame, a series of plowsarranged di agonally and connected to the frame, a hoisting device foreach plow, mounted on the frame, and including a pinion, a shaftegtending across the frame andhaving a series of segment gear wheelsthereon corresponding to the pinions, the respective segment gears beingarranged in succession circumferentially, so` as to engage and operatethe respective pinions in succession, `and thereby lift the plows insuccession, means torelease the hoisting devices and drop the plows,desired.

4. In a plow, the combination of a frame, al plow pivotally connectedthereto, a hoisting device on the frame, connected to the plow to liftthe same, and including a' piniion' and a latch arranged to engage said.

and means to operate .the shaft when,"

pinion and lock the same to hold the plow in Y `raised position, a shafton the frame, a wheel on the shaft having a segment of teeth engageablewith the pinion to'turn the same and operate the hoist, and also havinga. cam arranged to strike and release the lat-ch, to allow the plow todrop, and means to operate the shaft.

5. In a gang plow, the combination of a frame, a series of plowsarranged diagonally and connected thereto, a series of hoisting devices.on the frame, connected respectively to the plows tolift the same, andeach including a pinion and a latch engageable .therewith to lock thesame and hold the plow in raised position, a shaft extending across theframe beside the hoisting devices, a series of wheels on the shaft, eachwheelhaving a segment ofteeth engageablewith the pinion ofthecorresponding hoisting device to turn said pinion and operate the hoist,and each wheel also having a device constructed to engage and releasethe latch, to allow the plow to drop, the respective segments anddevices on the wheels being angularly advanced to operate insuccession,whereby the plows will be raised or lowered consecutively from the firstplow of the gang to the last, and means to operate the shafts whendesired.

6. In a plow, the combination of a frame, a wheel on which the frame ismounted, a plow connected to the frame, a hoisting mechanism mounted onthe frame and connected to the plow, and means actuated by the wheel tooperate the hoisting mechanism, including a shaft and gearing betweenthe shaft and the wheel provided with a tripping device manuallyoperated to" operatively engage the gearing and automatically operatedto disengage -the same.

7. In a plow, the combination ofja frame,

a Wheel on which the frame is mounted, a

' plow connected to the frame, a hoisting .v ism, including shaft-soneof which is geared to the Wheel, and the other to the hoistingmechanism, sprockets on said shafts, one 'sprocket beingV fast and theother loose, a belt Connecting said sprockets, an arm earried by theshaft of the loose sprocket, a lever pivoted to the loose sprocket andhaving a projection engageable by -the arm to drive the sprocket, aspring connected to said .lever andtending to turn the same to engagingosition, a manually released stop normally position, and means toautomatically return4 the stop to disengage the lever, after said stopis manually released.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. CHARLES SMART. 4l/Vitnesses:

A. M. ECKMANN, HERMAN HANsoN.

oldng the lever in disengaged

